5 reasons all dads should take paternity leave

Most fathers in this country feel they don’t have a choice when it comes to taking an extended amount of time off for the birth of their child. According to a recent paternity leave study from the Boston College Center for Work and Family, only 13% of fathers took more than 4 weeks off, while the average amount of time was two weeks after the birth of their child before returning to work.

With another mouth to feed, the added pressure to provide can prevent many news dads from taking any unpaid leave. But research shows that there are long-term benefits, both financial and emotional, for fathers who use the time if they have it, and find the time if they don’t. Only 14% of U.S. employers offer paid time off for new dads.

Here are five reasons why it’s in a family’s best interest for the father to take paternity leave.

1.  Taking paternity leave can boost the earning potential of dual-career households. Middle class families are struggling more than ever, and one of the only ways to get ahead is for both spouses to work. Husbands who share in the parenting and household duties from the start typically relieve the pressure on their wives to “off-ramp” their careers for a time and encourage them to go back to work and contribute to the overall household income.

Paul Serignese, 40, works as the assistant director of housing at Eastern Connecticut University. When his wife, Heather, 31, got pregnant two years ago, he was the first person in his department to take advantage of the 12 weeks of unpaid protected leave available through the Family Medical Leave Act. Serignese spent 11 weeks at home following the birth of their son Paul Jr., utilizing vacation time accrued over the years.

After 14 weeks of maternity leave, Heather, a communications director at an insurance company, went back to work feeling like she could focus on her family and her career. “With all the support that I do get from Paul, it definitely makes it easier to go to work, focus on my career, and be successful,” she told Yahoo Finance.

2. Taking paternity leave will not reflect poorly on your career aspirations. In fact, most fathers in the BC paternity leave study said they felt becoming a father positively impacted how others viewed them at their workplaces. One recent study also found that overall, men’s salaries grew by more than 6 percent when they had children.

3. Taking paternity leave contributes to the overall emotional and physical well-being of mothers. Research indicates that women who feel supported at home in the early stages after the birth of their child are healthier and less likely to get depressed. Co-parenting habits that are established in the first few months of a child’s life continue to benefit the home for years to come.

4. Taking paternity leave will boost the bond you have with your child. A recent study by the Pew Research Center indicated close to half (46%) of fathers feel they aren’t spending enough time with their children, compared with 23% of mothers. Fathers in other countries with generous paid paternity leave programs, such as Sweden and Germany, feel more connected with their children and have been known to be more engaged parents over the course of a child’s lifespan.

5. Taking paternity leave will encourage other fathers to do the same. As U.S. policies on parental leave trail behind the rest of the world, most fathers only take about one day of leave time to bond with their new children for every month the typical mothers mother takes. More fathers who take leave – where it’s available - will decrease the social stigma for all dads who wish they could be more involved, and set better standards for the United States.

Pregnant with their second child, both Paul and Heather will each take about 12 weeks of leave. “You don’t get that time back. It only happens once – those first few months,” says Heather.